Dental Isolator

ABSTRACT
 

The dental device includes a buccal member and a lingual member disposable on one side of a patient's mouth for isolating the buccal and lingual sides of the patient's mandibular teeth, respectively. The buccal member is generally curved to follow an outer contour of the patient's mandibular arch for deflecting the patient's cheek from the buccal side of the mandibular teeth. The lingual member is configured to corral a side of the patient's tongue and has a neck portion in a region where the lingual member attaches to the buccal member, the neck portion being configured to rest on the patient's mandibular teeth. The distal ends of the buccal and lingual members are spaced apart to permit independent movement therebetween. In one embodiment, the device includes a prop stem releasably attachable to the patient's maxillary teeth for propping open the patient's mouth. The embodiment is constructed such that the buccal member depends angularly from a bottom section of the prop stem and the lingual member extends from the bottom section of the prop stem and away from the buccal member. In another embodiment, the device may include, instead of the prop stem, an elongated chin bar for releasable attachment with the patient's lower jaw. According to this embodiment, the chin bar extends downwardly from the buccal and lingual members and has a bottom section configured to corral the patient's chin.
 

Inventors: Sclafani; Adam (North Canton, OH) Assignee: Intellitech Corporation (New York, NY) Appl. No.: 883820 Filed: June 27, 1997

U.S. Class: 433/140; 433/93; 600/238 Intern'l Class: A61C 017/04 Field of Search: 433/93,138,139,140 600/237,238,239,242